Cable clamp



Patented Mar. 24, 1942 examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to clamps for holding cables such, for example, as are used to clamp the wire cables of load-lifting slings.

In the transporting of heavy loads, wire cable lifting slings are employed for attaching the load to a crane hook, and ordinarily the load is susceptible of tilting with the result that workmen are exposed to danger and the load susceptible to falling and breaking. In addition to the foregoing difficulties, conventional wire cable slings are easily broken and frequently require replacement.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a clamp which will hold cables against movement without the usual tendency toward rupturing or breakage.

Other objects are to provide an inexpensive but efiicient cable clamp which, if desired, may be employed on wire cable slings in such manner as to prevent the shifting or tilting of the load while at the same time easily lending itself to shifting cable positions.

The foregoing and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the device of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view taken on the line IIII of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-J11 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I designates two cables, the lower ends of each of which carry conventional cable clamps 2 providing eyes 3 for the accommodation of load hooks 4, the latter being four in number and carried by the load, which is indicated at 6. The strands of the upper end of each cable I converge and form a continuous loop to which there is connected any desired object, for example, a lifting ring 1.

According to the teachings of the present invention, there is provided at the loops at the.

upper ends of the cables I an inverted U-shaped thimble 8 having a continuous exterior groove 9 for the reception of the strands of the cable. The bottom of the groove 9 is relieved at each of the ends by a short convex portion ID. The ends of the outer edges of the side walls of the groove 9 are extended beyond the ends of the short convex portions I 0, are convexly curved, as shown at H, and connected to the outer ends of the short convex relieved portions ill by means of concaved portions l2.

The foregoing construction eliminates sharp edges and therefore prevents the chafing and rupturing of the strands of the wire cable l Each of the inverted U-shaped thimbles 8 is adapted to fit within the lifting ring 7 and carries an interiorly disposed inverted U-shaped clamping member IS, the upper surface of which is concaved, as at Hi, to contact and conform with the arc of the periphery of the said ring. Each of the clamping members I5 has on each of its leg portions a pair of holes for the reception of U-bolts I! which embrace the legs of the inverted U-shaped thimble 8 and carry on the inner faces of the legs of the U-shaped clamping member l5, clamping nuts I8. Disposed between the inner surfaces of the U-bolts l1 and the adjacent faces of the outer surfaces of the legs of the inverted U-shaped thimble 8 is a clamping bar 20 which is provided with a groove 2| for contact with the inner surface of the U-bolt l1 and a concave inner surface 22 which conforms to the outer periphery of the wire cable I.

In assembly, the wire cable I is passed around the inverted U-shaped thimble 8 occupying the groove 9 therein, the U-bolts I! inserted through the legs of the clamping member IS. The clamping bars 20 are placed between the cable I and the U-bolts I! after which the nuts l8 are drawn up tightly thus positively locking the cable in place and preventing any possible movement or slippage of the latter with respect to the thimble 8.

While the device of the invention is shown and described as applied to two cables I supporting between them the balanced load 6, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it may be utilized in a number of different ways in connection with anchoring of a cable to various ob- .iects.

I claim:

1. A cable clamp comprising a U-shaped thim ble having a cable-receiving groove therein, a U-shaped clamping member correspondingly disposed within the legs of said thimble, and a U-bolt embracing one of the legs of said U- shaped thimble and extending through the adjacent leg of said U-shaped clamping member whereby a cable may be rigidly held in the cablereceiving groove in said thimble.

2. A cable clamp comprising a U-shaped thimble having a cable-receiving groove therein, a U-shaped clamping member correspondingly disposed within the legs of said thimble, a clamping bar disposed over the cable-receiving groove in each of the legs of said U-shaped thimble,

and a U-bolt embracing each of said clamping bars and the adjacent portion of said U-shaped thimblg, each of said U-bolts extending through oneflfihe legs of said U-shaped clamping member whereby a cable may be rigidly held in the cable-receiving groove in said thimble by said clamping bars.

3. A cable clamp comprising a U-shaped thimble having a cable-receiving groove therein, a U-shaped clamping member correspondingly disposed within the legs of said thimble, a grooved clamping bar disposed over the cable-receiving groove in each of the legs of said U-shaped thimble, and a U-bolt embracing each of said clamping bars and the adjacent portion of said U- shaped thimble, each of said U-bolts extending through one of the legs of said U-shaped clamping member whereby a cable may be rigidly held in the cable-receiving groove in said thimble by said clamping bars.

EARL G. WHITE 

